Trolley-wire hanger.



K. L. CURTIS.

TROLLBY WIRE HANGER,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1911.

Patented July 16; 1912.

.INVENTOR.

"NIH

WITNESSES:

A TTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-IWASIUN E PA KENNETH I1. CURTIS, F BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 ALBERT AND J. M.

ANDERSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO-RATION OF MAINE.

TROLLEY-WIRE HANGER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KENNETH L. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Trolley-WVire Hangers, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a hanger or supporting device for trolleywires and more particularly to the clamping mechanism by which thetrolley wire is firmly secured to said hanger.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple,inexpensive and efiicient clamping-mechanism with which the trolley wireand especially the 8-shaped trolley wire may be firmly secured inposition in a minimum time and with minimum labor.

The particular features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of hanger provided with aclamping mechanism embodying this invention. Fig. 2, a vertical sectionon the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a plan view of the wedge memberinverted. Fig. 4,.a'n inner side View of one of the clamping jaws. Fig.5, a detail in section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6, a sec tion onthe-line 66, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 a detail in section on the line 7-7, Fig. 2.Fig. 8, a modification to be referred to, and Fig. 9, a plan of thewedge member employed in the construction shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the hanger proper, which may beof any suitable, usual or desired construction, and which in the presentinstance is secured by a bolt 6 to a support a, and is provided with abolt cl having its head embedded in insulation 6, and its threaded shankextended be low said insulation.

The bolt d has secured to it the clamping mechanism for the trolley wire10, which is S-shaped in cross-section.

The clamping mechanism referred to, comprises clamping members or jaws12, 13, suitably shaped at their lower portion to engage the upper partof the trolley wire 10, and provided with tapering or inclined outersurfaces 15, (see Fig. 6), which converge upwardly and cooperate with acompressing Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1911.

Patented July 16, 1912. Serial No. 627,572.

member 17 of substantially the length of said jaws and having asubstantially central hollow boss 18 and two sets of arms 19, 20, onoppositesides of the hollow boss, said arms having upwardly converginginner surfaces 21, which are designed to engage glge gapering outersurfaces of the jaws The arms 19, 20 of the compressing member straddlethe jaws 12, 13, and are made of sufficient depth to enable them toengage the said jaws in close proximity to the trolley wire 10 and forsubstantially the length of said jaws, whereby a firm and substantialgrlp of the jaws on the wire is obtained.

The hollow boss 18 of the compressing member has extended into it aholding member for the clamping j aws, said holding member comprising abody portion 23 and an angular head 24L connected to the lower end ofthe body portion by a neck 25, which leaves an annular groove betweenthe said head and body portion, into which extends flanges or lips 27formed on the inner surfaces of the clamping jaws by angular recesses 28in said inner surfaces.

The recesses 28- are designed to receive the angular head 24 (see Figs.2 and 7), and the lips 27 are designed to extend over the head 24. Thebody portion 23 of the holding member is provided with a screw threadedsocket 29, which engages the screw threaded bolt 0? so as to secure theclamping mechanism to the insulator.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the holding member 23' isextended through and above the compressing member, and has its upper endprovided with screw-threads 30 on its exterior surface for engagementwith a nut 31, interposed between the compressing member and theinsulator, and by turning which in one direction, the compressing memberis forced downwardly so as to cause the tapered inner surfaces of thearms 19, 20 of the compressing member, to engage the tapered externalsurfaces of the clamping j aws and force them into firm engagement withthe trolley wire. By turning the nut 31 in the opposite direction, theclamping jaws are rendered loose with respectto the trolley wire. Whenthe nut 31 is turned, the holding member is held from turning by itsangular head 24 engaging the recesses 28 in the clamping jaws, and thelatter are prevented from turning by the wire. By means of the nut 31turning on the; holding member to move the compressing member bodilytoward the clamping jaws, the clamping mechan1sm can be applied toinsulated hangers, which are stationary, that is, the insulator can besecured in fixedrelation to itssupport, and after it has been placed inposition, the trolley wire may be clamped thereto by turning the nut asabove described. 7

In cases where the insulated hanger has not been secured to its support,but is free to be turned, the construction of clamping mechanism shownin Figs. 1 and 2 may be employed, or the construction shown in Figs. 8and 9 may be employed.

The construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9- is substantially the same as inFigs. 1 and 2, except that the nut 31 is dispensed with, and the hollowboss 18 of the compressing member is made long enough to engage theinsulator and be forced downwardly so as to cause the clamping jaws togrip the wire, by turning the insulator.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the hollow boss 18 of thecompressing mem ber is made other than circular in form, and the holdingmember is provided with a correspondingly-shaped exterior surface. In

the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the holding member and thecompressing member are connected together so as to be handled as onepiece and yet allow a limited movement of the holding member and itsclamping jaws with relation to the com pressing member, so as to enablesaid jaws to be applied to the wire, by a pin 40 inserted through a holein the compressing member and engaging a lip 41 at the upper end of theholding member. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the nut 31performs the same oflice as the pin and lip.

, In operation with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theclamping jaws are applied to the head of the holding member, and thelatter is extended up through the hollow boss of the compressing member,and the nut 31 is then applied to the projecting 7 end of the holdingmember and turned down so as to cause the arms of the compressing memberto approach the clamp ing jaws sufiiciently to prevent the latter beingdisengaged from the head of the holding member, after which the wholedevice is turned to screw the holding member on the bolt (Z and againstthe bottom of the insulator. The compressing member is, then lifted topermit the clamping jaws to separate sufficiently to be applied to thewire, and when thus applied, the nut 31 is turned to move thecompressing member into contact with the clamping jaws and force theminto firm engagement with the wire. 7

In operation with the construction shown -in Fig. 8, the holding memberwith the clamping jaws fitted thereon is inserted up into the hollowboss of the compressing member, and the pin 40 is then inserted toproject intothe said boss and engage the lip 4:1, thereby connecting theparts together so that they can be handled as one piece.

v The threaded bolt (Z of the insulator is then inserted in the socketin the holding member, and the insulator is turned to move the comjawsand force them into firm engagement with the wire. The clampingmechanism is herein shown as embodied in one form of insulated hanger,but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular formherein shown.

Claims. Q

1. The combination with a hanger of the character described providedwith a threaded bolt, of a clamping mechanism comprising clamping jawscapable'of engaging the trolley wire and provided with tapering withlips and recesses below said lips, a compressing member fitted over theclamping jaws and having inclined inner surfaces cooperating with theinclined outer surfaces of said aws in proximity to the lower ends ofsaid jaws to cause the latter to firmly grip the trolley wire, a holdingmember within the compressing member having a head at its lower end toextend into the said recesses and to engage said lips, andprovided witha threaded socket for the reception of said threaded bolt, and a nutinthreaded engagement with the external surface of the upper part of theholding member and cooperating with the compressing member to bodilymove the latter toward the clamping jaws to force the said jaws intoengagement with the trolley wire.

2. The combination with a hanger of the character described providedwith a threaded bolt, of a clamping mechanism comprising clamping jawscapable of engaging the trolley wire and provided with tapering outersurfaces and on their inner surfaces with lips and recesses below saidlips, 21. compressing member fitted over the clamping jaws and havinginclined inner surfaces cooperating with the inclined outer surfaces ofsaid jaws in proximity to the lower ends of said jaws to cause thelatter to firmly grip the trolley wire, a holding member within thecompressing member having a head at its lower end to extend into thesaid recesses and to engage said lips, and provided with a threadedsocket for the re ception of said threaded bolt, said clamping jawsbeing caused to engage the wire by movement of the compressing membertoward the clamping jaws.

t character described provided with a threadpressing member down-on theclamping outer surfaces and on their inner surfaces 3. The combinationwith a hanger of the Cir ed bolt, of a clamping mechanism comprisingclamping jaws capable of engaging the trolley wire, a compressing memberprovided with arms to engage said clamping jaws and with a hollow bossbetween the ends of said arms, and a holding member for said clampingjaws within the hollow boss of said compressing member and cooperatingwith said bolt, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a hanger of the character described providedwith a threaded bolt, of a clamping mechanism comprising clamping jawscapable of engaging the trolley wire, a compressing member pro videdwith arms to engage said clamping jaws and with a hollow boss betweenthe ends of said arms, and a holding member for said clamping jawswithin the hollow boss of said compressing member and cooperating withsaid bolt, and means to bodily move the compressing member toward theclamping jaws and cause them to grip the wire, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with a hanger of the character described, of aclamping mechanism comprising clamping jaws capable of engaging thetrolley wire, a compressing member comprising a hollow boss and armsextended from opposite sides thereof and straddling the clamping jaws,said arms be ing extended substantially the length of said jaws andcooperating therewith to force the same into engagement with the trolleywire, means to bodily move said compressing member toward said clampingjaws, and means to connect said clamping mechanism with said hanger,substantially as de scribed.

6. A clampingmechanism of the character described, comprising clampingjaws disconnected from each other, a compressing member comprising ahollow boss and arms on opposite sides thereof which straddle the saidclamping j aws, said arms having their inner surfaces cooperating withthe outer surfaces of the clamping jaws to effect movement of the jawstoward each other, one of said parts being bodily movable to ward theother, and means for bodily moving one of said parts toward the other,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a hanger of the character described, of clampingjaws to engage the trolley wire, a device depending from said hanger andhaving a head for engagement with the inner surfaces of said jaws, acompressing member provided with arms extended in the direction of thelength of the clamping jaws to straddle the same and having an openingof greater diameter than said device and head to enable the compressingmember to be slipped up over the headed end of the device, and a nutinterposed between said compressing member and hanger, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

KENNETH L. CURTIS.

l/Vitnesses:

JAs. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

